Method of finishing shoes



July'30, 1929. M 1.. DODGE. v 1,722,790

METHQD OF FINISHING SHOES Filed Jan. 1925 dig a.

' -mzzmz.wd 6 j W Patented July 30, 1929.

UNITED FHCE.

METHOD OF FINISHING SHOES.

Application filed January 8, 1925. Serial No. 1,196.

In the manufacture of shoes, more particularly turn shoes, it is oftendesirable to close up the crease between the upper and the sole, both toimprove the appearance of the shoe and to prevent access of moisture tothe stitching, particularly where the stitching has run out well towardthe margin of the sole.

According to this invention this is effected by subjecting the edgeportions of the sole outwardly of the stitch line between the sole andupper to pressure such as may be exerted by a rapid succession of blowsdirected thereagainst. This pressure may be exerted primarily againstthe edge face of the sole so as to thicken it, the increased thicknessbeing localized on its upper face, giving the appearance of a relativelythick sole by the use of stock of ordinary thickness, or it may bedirected so as to turn the marginal portion of the sole upwardly intocontact with the upper or it may be exerted to flatten and condense theinseam so that the crease between the sole and upper is closed withoutbending or material thickening of the edge portion of the sole. In anycase the operation may be made to flatten the shoe sole and straightenits edge lines. When the sole edge is compacted and thickened it becomesconditioned by this operation to be finished by the usual burnishingtools without the edge trimming operation unless it is desired to imparta beaded or other special configuration thereto. Most advantageouslythis crease closing operation whether or not thickening or plumping ofthe sole edge is desired may be accomplished by means of a machine ofthe upper-blocking or pounding-up type, and for this purpose the presentinvention contemplates the use of a tool for such a machine so formedthat it can be used for both the crease closing and the upper-blockingor pounding operations. The tool is so designed that the shoe may bepresented in one relation thereto to perform one of these operations andin another relation thereto to perform the other operation, the twooperations being performed successively with a single handling of eachshoe. Thus the upper is blocked adjacent to the sole so that it takesits final shape and then the edge of the sole is acted upon to cause thecrease between it and the upper to be filled.

For a more complete understanding ofthis invention reference may be hadto the accompanying drawings in which Figure l a view in side elevation.of a p rtion of a pounding machine showing the tool of this invention inposition thereon.

Figure 2 is an isometric View of the tool detached.

Figures 3 and 4 illustrate the relative positlons of the tool and shoefor the pounding up or upper shaping and the sole plumping or flatteningoperations, respectively.

Figures 5 and 6 represent transverse sections through the forepart ofthe turned shoe, showing the conditionof the sole before and after thelumping operation, respectively.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary cross section thlrough the edge of a shoehaving a thin edge so e. 1

Figure 8 is a similar view showing the crease closing operation beingeffected by a tool of somewhat different contour from that shown inFigures 1 to 4 inclusive.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary'section somewhat similar to a portion ofFigure 6, but showing the crease closed without apparent plumping of thesole edge.

Referring to these figures it will be seen that the tool comprisesablock 1 having the upper portion of its forward face asat 2 formedconcave as a portion'of a cylindrical surface extending laterally of theblock to conform in general to the curve of an upper adjacent to thesole. -The lower edge of this concave surface is defined by a rearwardlyextending wall 3 forming therewith a laterally extending slightlyrounded shoulder 41. The lower portion of the forward face of the block,as at 5, is formed as a substantially flat face extending downwardly andinclined forwardly from the rear edge of the wall 3 to conform ingeneral to the lower face of the shoe sole. The block is provided on itsrear face with means for fixing it to a vibrat ing member'of ablockingor pounding-up machine and for the purpose of illustration it isshown as applied to a machine of the type illustrated in the patent toKnowlton 1,285,740, granted November 26, 1918. This machine, asillustrated in Figure 1 of-the present application, is provided with avibrating arm 10 to the upper end of which the block 1 may be fixed. Forthis purpose the block 1 is provided with a pair of spaced rearwardlyextending flanges 11 between which'the arm 10 may pass, the block beingfixed in position on'this arm by any suitable means such as clampingbolts 12, passed thr h su a forations 18 in. t e

u down the inseam.

flanges 11 and engaging the arm 10. The arm 10 is fulcrumcd at 15 to aportion of the machine frame as 16 and has a rearwardly extendingfmger17 which may be pressed into contact with a rapidly rota-ting cam 18carried on a shaft 19. This finger may be pressed into contact with theca m by pressure exerted against the block 1 at the outer end of the arm10 by a shoe held thereagainst and when pressure is exerted in thismanner it is evident that a rapid succession of pounding impulses isexerted on the shoe where it is contacted by the block 1.- Ifde'sire'dthe block 1 may be heated as in the manner disclosed in the Knowltonpatent hereinbefore mentioned, an electric heating unit being shown aslocated at 20 at the rear "of the block 1.

For the upper blocking operation the shoe is presented to the block 1 asillustrated in Figure 3, the concave face2 engaging the shoe upper "25with the upper edge of the block fitting closely in the crease betweenthe shoe upper and the sole 26. The shoe being presented in this mannerand caused to traverse the face 2 of the block, it is evident that theupper is smoothed and shaped to its proper contour, particularly closelyadjacent to the upper face of the sole 26. When this smoothing andblocking operation is complete, the operator turns the shoe into theposition shown in Figure 4 so as to press the lower face of the sole 26against the lower inclined fiat face 5 of the block which conformsclosely to the sole face and so that the shoulder 4 is positioned tobear on the outer edge of the sole toward its upper surface. If the soleis pressed upwardly with some force so that the edge of the sole isacted upon by the shoulder 4,- this shoulder exerts a rapid successionof vibrating or pounding impulses on the sole edge'inwardly thereof sothat this sole edge is compressed and compacted and caused to thicken onits upper surface into close contact with the face of the upper as shownin Figure 6. The engagement of the upper face 5 of the'block against thelower face of the shoe sole preventsthe sole edge from thickeningdownwardly and it also acts to flatten the bottom of the sole,straightening its edge line and pounding This action may be clearlyunderstood by reference to Figures 5 and 6. In Figure 5 the sole 26extends outwardly of the stitch line 30 between the sole and the upper2511s at 31and presents substantially the same thickness outwardly ofthis stitch line as inwardly thereofi The edge plumplng operation ascarried out by the method hereinbefore described shortens the projectingedge portion 31 of the sole but at the same time thickens it and maybend it upwardly more or less if desired, the thickening taking placelocally on the upper face of the sole and causing it to press closelyagainst the upper as shown at 32 in Figure 6." This action also causesthe apparent thickness of the sole to be considerably increased sincethis thickness is judged by the thickness of the exposed edge of thesole. This also adds to the appearance of the shoe without requirlng anexcessively heavy sole to be utilized; moreover the pounding andcompacting of the sole material at this edge makes unnecessary the usualedge trimming operation, the edge being formed by this plumpingoperation being in excellent condition for the edge making operation bywhich the usual bead is formed on the edge of the sole and to receive asuperior finish by the edge burnishing tools.

here thickening of the sole edge is not desired the shoe may be pressedagainst the face 5 of the block with little upward pressure. Thepounding impulses are then exerted in a directionto compact the inseambe tween the block and the last to an extent-sulficient to close up thecrease without material thickening of the sole edge, as is shown 1nFigure 9.

l Vhere a thin edge sole, such as shown in Figure 7 is employed, a toolof modified contour is preferably employed, as shown in Figure 8. Inthis tool the operating face between the curved face 2 and the flat face5 comprises a concave cylindrical wall 3 5 in place of the wall 3 shownin Figures 1 and 4. This curved surface engages the thin marginalportion of the sole in the manner shown in Figure 8 and bends andcompacts it against the shoe upper to close the crease therebetween.

The action of the tool in each instance is to close up the creasebetween the sole and upper and to flatten the inseam, thus helping toprevent access of moisture to the stitching 30 and also to cover anyirregularities or unevenness of the parts adjacent to the stitchingwhich is often apparent on turn shoes, particularly where the stitchinghas run out slightly too far toward-the edge'of the sole.

Having thus described an embodiment of this invention it should beevidentto those skilled in the art that various changes andmodifications might be made therein without departing from its spiritorscope as defined by the appended claims.

1, The step in the manufacture of shoes which comprises subjecting theedge portion of the fore part of the sole outwardly of the stitch lineto vibrating impulses in a direction to close it to the shoe upper andcover the stitches. I

2. The step in the manufacture of shoes which comprises subjecting thelower face and outer edge of the sole of a lasted shoeto blows in adirection to close the sole to the upper outwardly of the stitch linebetween the sole and upper.

3. The step in the manufacture' of shoes which comprises subjecting theedge of the sole of a lasted shoe about said shoe to blows exertedinwardly and upwardly there-.

on to thicken the sole edge portion and close the crease between thesole and upper outwardly of the stitch line between the sole and upper.

4. The step in the manufacture of shoes which comprises progressivelysubjecting the edge of the sole of a lasted shoe about said shoe toblows exerted inwardly and upwardly thereon to thick-en the sole edgeportion and close the crease between the sole and upper and cover thestitches between the sole and upper.

5. The step in the manufacture of shoes which comprises compressing andthickening the sole edge portion of a lasted shoe in a manner to closethe crease between the sole and upper and cover the stitches between thesole and upper.

6. The step in the manufacture of shoes which comprises subjecting thelower face and outer edge of the sole of a lasted shoe to blows in amanner to thicken said outer edge on the upper; face thereon and closeup the crease between the sole and upper and cover the stitches betweenthe sole and upper.

7. The steps in the manufacture of turn shoes which comprise subjectingthe forepart the shoe upper adjacent to said sole, and then subjectingthe edge portion of the sole outwardly of the stitch line to repeatedblows exerted in a direction to close the crease between. it and theshaped upper.

8. The steps in the manufacture of turn shoes which comprise subjectingthe forepart of a lasted shoe adjacent to the sole to rapid blows sodirected as to shape and smooth the shoe upper adjacent to said sole,and then subjecting the edge portion of the sole to repeated blowsexerted in a direction to thicken the sole edge and close the creasebetween it and the shaped upper and hide the inseam stitches.

9. The steps in the manufacture of turn shoes which comprise blockingand smoothing the upper of the turned shoe adjacent to the sole and thenthickening the sole edge on its upper face to close the crease betweenit and the upper.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

MILTON L. DODGE.

